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Post by zymot on Jun 8, 2020 19:44:44 GMT -6
Done using propane.
I am going electric. The wife is very scared of fire and flames. Too close to the house, too dangerous. I told her I could go electric. Described electric brewing like using a really big crock pot. So I got the approval.
My eBay selling is going very well, it is like found money. I can sell off plenty of my existing rig. (too bad nobody here is local to me).
Right now #1 on my list the Anvil 10.5 Foundry all-in-one. The homebrewer in me still thinks about something like a 15 gallon Blichmann electric boil kettle set up as a BIAB would be pretty hip. That would be about $800 with a controller. But it is more honest brewing.
Anybody got any better ideas?
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Post by jkor on Jun 8, 2020 20:18:42 GMT -6
DIY? It's easy! I've only been working on mine for 6 years.
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Post by Leftympfrmde on Jun 8, 2020 20:43:34 GMT -6
DIY? It's easy! I've only been working on mine for 6 years. It only took me two years! Ha! 😁 |
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Post by jkor on Jun 8, 2020 20:59:20 GMT -6
Look at Speedy Gonzalez over here!
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Post by Seven on Jun 9, 2020 6:30:13 GMT -6
Will be watching this closely...I like the simplicity of the all-in-ones and the Anvil is high on my list, if it ever becomes available again.
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Post by zymot on Jun 9, 2020 7:40:48 GMT -6
The timing is right, I might get on the waiting list for The Foundry. I like how The Foundry is 120V-220V switchable. I have a open 220V outlet in my back shed.
Another choice is the Brewzilla. It has programmable step mashes.
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Post by drez on Jun 9, 2020 8:12:46 GMT -6
Electric is the only way to go IMO. I have been electric in one way or another for about 14 years. I think you need to decide if you want the DIY path or the all in one. I know I would go with a single 15g vessel with an element and a controller because I feel it gives more control. The issue is I do not think you will be able to do that for the roughly $500 that the Foundry costs with the pump. Last year I upgraded to 2 spike kettles and in reality I should have just got one. The second one is mainly used to hold my chilling water run off from my CFC these days.
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Post by Ken on Jun 9, 2020 8:24:52 GMT -6
I mentioned that when I go into one of my LHBSs, there are a number of these on display and if I'm waiting for someone to bag up some grain, etc. I will look closely at them. Let me ask this question of the distinguished members of the panel: For me coming from an old-school setup (cooler MT, propane burner, standard 10-gal kettle), what would I want to look for in one of these all-in-one systems? Would those systems allow me to step-mash easily? How does a person mash and then boil in the same unit? How does the grain get removed in this equation? When I boil in one of these things, do I need to vent it or would I have to bring it out to the garage or what? I guess I just wonder what I would gain and what I might lose. It's hard to imagine losing anything because my system is so old-school. I would only make 5-gallon batches so I assume I would be getting the standard-sized model. I would have no issue springing for more features although I don't know what those features would be.
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Post by drez on Jun 9, 2020 8:31:05 GMT -6
I mentioned that when I go into one of my LHBSs, there are a number of these on display and if I'm waiting for someone to bag up some grain, etc. I will look closely at them. Let me ask this question of the distinguished members of the panel: For me coming from an old-school setup (cooler MT, propane burner, standard 10-gal kettle), what would I want to look for in one of these all-in-one systems? Would those systems allow me to step-mash easily? How does a person mash and then boil in the same unit? How does the grain get removed in this equation? When I boil in one of these things, do I need to vent it or would I have to bring it out to the garage or what? I guess I just wonder what I would gain and what I might lose. It's hard to imagine losing anything because my system is so old-school. I would only make 5-gallon batches so I assume I would be getting the standard-sized model. I would have no issue springing for more features although I don't know what those features would be. Mash and boil in the same unit is no different than BIAB. These have SS mesh cylinders you pull out with the grain and then boil. I think most of them have the ability to step mash as well. Take some time and watch some videos here. He reviews most of them. www.youtube.com/user/SCBTELEVISON/playlists |
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Post by shaggaroo on Jun 9, 2020 8:32:24 GMT -6
I mentioned that when I go into one of my LHBSs, there are a number of these on display and if I'm waiting for someone to bag up some grain, etc. I will look closely at them. Let me ask this question of the distinguished members of the panel: For me coming from an old-school setup (cooler MT, propane burner, standard 10-gal kettle), what would I want to look for in one of these all-in-one systems? Would those systems allow me to step-mash easily? How does a person mash and then boil in the same unit? How does the grain get removed in this equation? When I boil in one of these things, do I need to vent it or would I have to bring it out to the garage or what? I guess I just wonder what I would gain and what I might lose. It's hard to imagine losing anything because my system is so old-school. I would only make 5-gallon batches so I assume I would be getting the standard-sized model. I would have no issue springing for more features although I don't know what those features would be. I'm guessing it's like BIAB?? |
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Post by Ken on Jun 9, 2020 8:50:41 GMT -6
Okay everyone... hang on to something heavy while I ask: Could someone brew LO beers with one of these setups?
* ducks *
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Post by Seven on Jun 9, 2020 9:01:17 GMT -6
Okay everyone... hang on to something heavy while I ask: Could someone brew LO beers with one of these setups? * ducks * I'm guessing that it would be pretty easy to but would need some advance planning. If there's a timer, you can add your water (and salt/acid additions) the night before, set it up to boil and then cool it down to dough-in temp. Or do yeast-sugar de-ox as normal. Gently drain grains after mashing to avoid splashing and low boil. |
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Post by jimdkc on Jun 9, 2020 9:09:07 GMT -6
It is pretty much BIAB. Malt goes into a malt pipe or basket, which is lowered into the kettle. On the Anvil systems, the step mashing is a manual process... you dial in the temperature changes. At the end of the mash, the malt pipe is lifted up, rotated 45 deg., then it rests above the kettle to drain (and sparge, unless you are doing no-sparge).
I received my Anvil Foundry 6.5 Gallon system last week... Sans pump. Pump is still on backorder (frustrating!), but I'm hoping to get it in the next week or so. I'm going to wait until I get the pump to try it out.
It looks to be a nicely made piece of equipment. And, it's really hard to beat the price for what you get. Just about everything you need is included.
Anvil usually starts taking pre-orders mid-month for the following month's shipment. As soon as they start shipping them out, they are in sold-out status again. As far as I can tell pre-ordering is the only way to buy one. They apparently are selling as many as they can make. Whether you buy through a vendor or directly from Anvil doesn't seem to matter. (Anvil drop-ships the vendor pre-orders.) If you want one, don't wait for stock! Just pre-order one!
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Post by Ken on Jun 9, 2020 9:16:39 GMT -6
What is the pump for? Recirculating? It pumps from the bottom of the tank up to the top to naturally filter out some of the flour, etc? Am I envisioning that right?
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Post by zymot on Jun 9, 2020 9:23:23 GMT -6
Question to electric brewers out there.
How do you deal with a IM chiller and the heating element?
An electric boil kettle has to have the heating element in direct contact with the wort. When you use a water heater element, is sticks out into the wort, a Blichmann boil coil has a coil concentric with the kettle.
My concern is the IM banging into the heating element.
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